Device for counting small mechanical components, in particular watch jewels



Jan. 8, 1963 E. G. VACCHELLI 3,072,797

7 DEVICE FOR COUNTING SMALL MECHANICAL COMPONENTS, IN

' PARTICULAR WATCH JEWELS Filed Jan. 15, 1960 Enrico 'Vacc/vellz' 3 ia ta 8w M Pr-nvweys United States Patent Ofiice 3,072,797 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 3,072,797 DEVICE FOR COUNTING SMALL MECHAN- ICAL COMPONENTS, IN PARTICULAR WATCH JEWELS Enrico Giacomo Vacchelli, 24 Rue de lAvemr, Delemont, Switzerland Filed Jan. 15, 1950, Ser. No. 2,689 4 Claims. ((11. 250-223) The present invention relates to a device for counting small mechanical components such as watch jewels. This device comprises a chute of rectangular section which is fed by a magazine and is so dimensioned that the components to be counted only can drop through the chute one by one and without any appreciable lateral play. This device is characterized in that one of the chute walls which forms a flat side of the chute cross-section, has a generally conical opening of which the maximum dimension is smaller than the chute width, and further is characterized by optical means for concentrating a light-beam on to said opening and throwing same through the latter on to a photocell.

On form of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the drawing, in which- FIG. 1 is a side view of the device, partly in longitudinal section,

FIG. 2 shows a section on the line II-ll of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a portion of FIG. 2 in larger scale, and

FIG. 4 depicts a section on the line IV--IV of FIG. 3.

On a base 1 and by means of ball bearings 2 is rotatably mounted a sleeve-like holder 3 to which is secured a structural part 4 which, together with a plate 5 of transparent plastic secured thereto, forms a magazine 6 in the upper portion and a chute 7 fed through said magazine in the lower portion. The chute is of rectangular crosssection and so dimensioned that the watch jewels to be counted and which are stored in magazine 6, only can drop through the chute one by one, and this without noticeable play.

One of the chutewalls, constituted by material of structural part 4 and forming one of the flat sides of the.

chute cross-section, has a generally conical opening 8 of which the maximum dimension-in the present case its diameteris smaller than the chute-width and extends to a chute-wall forming one of the narrow sides of the chute cross-section.

The device further comprises optical means, namely a light-source 9 and a set of lenses of which the mounting 10 is fastly located in the holder, for concentrating a beam of light on to the opening 8 and directing same through the latter on to a photocell 11 which in a manner known per se coacts with a counting or recording mechanism.

For shaking the watch jewels disposed in chute 6, a mechanism is provided in which a disc 14 driven via a pulley 12 and a shaft 13 journaled in base 1, has an eccentric pin 15 engaged in a groove 16 of structural part 4.

In operation, the light-beam from 9, 10 is concentrated to strike opening 8. By virtue of the fact that the latter is situated laterally in chute 7, said light-beam is not screened uninterruptedly when watch jewels 17 are dropping through the chute continuously; rather the intensity of the light-beam passing through said opening varies between a maximum and a minimum in accordance with the size of the entire opening 8 and, respectively, of the size of the opening left when a watch jewel is in front thereof. The fluctuations in the light quantity received by the photocell are amply sufficient to feed or control a recording mechanism with the aid of amplifying means available today.

It is obvious that by means of the device shown and described not only watch jewels but also other small mechanical parts may be counted.

If small mechanical parts are to be counted which abut against each other in a rectilinear chute on their entire width, the arrangement of the opening 8 shown and described is no longer suited. In such cases, other meas' ures have to be taken to keep the parts separated from each other on their passage in front of the opening which then does not have to extend to one of the narrow sides of the chute cross-section. The chute, for example, then may be curved within the range of the opening, or a jet of air may be blown downwardly into the chute at an angle, above the opening, in order to separate the components 17 from each other by accelerating their fall.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device for counting small mechanical parts, in particular watch jewels, comprising a chute of rectangular cross-section fed from a magazine and so dimensioned that said parts to be counted may drop one after the other through said chute without any appreciable lateral play, the improvement comprising a generally conical opening in a chute-Wall forming one of the fiatsides of said cross-section, the maximum dimension of said opening being smaller than the chute-width, and optical means for concentrating a light-beam on to said opening and throwing same through the latter on to a photocell, said opening flaring towards said photocell, the magazine of the chute being formed from a structural part which ispivotable about an axis in which is situated said opening, and motor driven means provided to oscillate said struc-- tural part about said axis for the purpose of shaking thesmall mechanical parts contained in the magazine.

2. A device as set out in claim 3, in which the magazine and the chute are formed in a structural part which is pivotable about an axis in which is situated said opening while said light beam and said photocell remain fixed, motor-driven means being provided to oscillate said part about said axis for the, purpose of shaking the small mechanical parts contained in the magazine.

3. A device for counting like small mechanical parts such as watch jewels, said device comprising a magazine, a chute connected to and fed from said magazine, said chute being of rectangular cross-section and so dimensioned that the parts to be counted may drop through said chute without appreciable side play, said chute being free of impediments to the flow of parts therethrough whereby parts continuously flow through said chute at a uniform rate, and a counter mechanism, said counter mechanism including a generally conical opening in a wall of said chute, said opening having a maximum dimension smaller than the width of said chute, a photocell aligned with said opening with said opening being flared towards said photocell, and a light source aligned with said opening and said photocell directing a light beam directly through said chute, then said opening and to said photocell to indicate the movement of each part through said chute.

4. The counting device of claim 1 wherein said opening is disposed adjacent one edge of said chute and in. only partial overlapping relation thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,783,423 Harper Dec. 2, 1930 2,351,702 Peterson June 20, 1944- 2,406,031 Parker Aug. 20, 1946 2,414,273 Richman Jan 14, 1947 2,465,215 Fergnani Mar. 22, 1949' 2,470,926 Gieseke May 24, 1949 2,968,424 Lawson Jan. 17, 1961 

3. A DEVICE FOR COUNTING LIKE SMALL MECHANICAL PARTS SUCH AS WATCH JEWELS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A MAGAZINE, A CHUTE CONNECTED TO AND FED FROM SAID MAGAZINE, SAID CHUTE BEING OF RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION AND SO DIMENSIONED THAT THE PARTS TO BE COUNTED MAY DROP THROUGH SAID CHUTE WITHOUT APPRECIABLE SIDE PLAY, SAID CHUTE BEING FREE OF IMPEDIMENTS TO THE FLOW OF PARTS THERTHROUGH WHEREBY PARTS CONTINUOUSLY FLOW THROUGH SAID CHUTE AT A UNIFORM RATE, AND A COUNTER MECHANISM, SAID COUNTER MECHANISM INCLUDING A GENERALLY CONICAL OPENING IN A WALL OF SAID CHUTE, SAID OPENING HAVING A MAXIMUM DIMENSION SMALLER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID CHUTE, A PHOTOCELL ALIGNED WITH SAID OPENING WITH SAID OPENING BEING FLARED TOWARDS SAID PHOTOCELL, AND A LIGHT SOURCE ALIGNED WITH SAID OPENING AND SAID PHOTOCELL DIRECTING A LIGHT BEAM DIRECTLY THROUGH SAID CHUTE, THEN SAID OPENING AND TO SAID PHOTOCELL TO INDICATE THE MOVEMENT OF EACH PART THROUGH SAID CHUTE. 